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This homemade canned apple pie filling is way better than store bought. Delicious apples in a sweet sauce won’t disappoint. Add these cute canning labels for your homemade apple pie filling recipe!
If you like to can you must try my Harry and David Onion Pepper Relish knock-off recipe…..so yummy. Jam is also another fun item to make and I have printable strawberry jam labels. Can you believe you can even make strawberry jam with only four ingredients and no pectin? These also have darling labels to print.
Homemade Apple Pie Filling Ingredients
- 6 quarts sliced fresh apples – firm crisp apples are best (about 30 apples, if apples are small do a few extra)
- 5 cups of sugar
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups Clear Jel
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- a couple of pinches of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 5 cups apple juice no sugar added
- 3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 6 – 1 quart canning jars regular mouth
Canning Tools
(affiliate links)
- water bath canner (this one will need care if you nick the surface it will rust) this canner is much more durable. You can also use a large pot with a rack placed in the bottom. I use the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker
- jar lifter
- canning funnel
- magnetic lid grabber and bubble remover
- apple peeler
How to Make Canned Apple Pie Filling
A few years back I made homemade apple pie filling in a jar and it was a huge hit. It really isn’t hard to make this homemade apple pie filling recipe. Pick some apples and you are ready to get started. I think you are going to love this easy recipe!
I love this apple peeler. It only peels the apple which is important. Other models will peel, slice, and core. However, for this recipe since the canning process is 25 mins, apple slices that are too thin turn mushy so a knife works great to cut nice chunky wedges.
Peel and core all the apples. I then slice each apple into about eight pieces.
How do you keep apples from browning?
A great trick for keeping the apples from browning and looking fresh is to add the apples to a large bowl of cold water along with three to five vitamin C tablets (500mg) that have been crushed. This is really an important step because the apples do brown quickly and it takes time to peel all the apples.
Combine sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, salt, and apple juice in a large pot. Stirring occasionally cook on medium-high heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add drained apple slices to the sauce.
Fill jars with mixture, leaving 1-inch headspace. I packed the jars with the apples and then divided the sauce among the jars. Use a skewer or plastic bubble remover to remove air bubbles along the side of the jar.
Wipe jar rims clean, tighten lids and process immediately. Place jars in a pot of boiling water with water 1 inch above the top of jar lids and boil for 25 minutes (For 0-1,000 ft altitude). Carefully remove jars from the hot water and let jars cool 12 to 24 hours. Lids should be indented if properly sealed.
Printable canning labels
Download the printable apple pie filling labels file and print in color on a solid sheet of sticker paper. I email the file to my local copy shop and ask them to print in color on 1 Up label paper. Cut out sticker and place on your homemade apple pie filling. What a delicious and useful homemade gift!
{Printable homemade apple pie filling labels}
Homemade Apple Pie Filling Recipe
Enjoy delicious apple pies all year long by canning apples in a delicious sauce! It isn't hard at all!
Ingredients
- 6 quarts sliced fresh apples firm crisp apples are best(about 30 apples, if apples are small do a few extra)
- 5 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups Clear Jel
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- a couple pinches of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 5 cups apple juice no sugar added
- 3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 6 - 1 quart canning jars regular mouth
Instructions
-
Combine sugar, Clear Jel, cinnamon, nutmeg, water, salt and apple juice in a large pot. Stir and cook on medium-high heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
-
Add drained apple slices to the sauce.
-
Fill jars with mixture, leaving 1 -inch headspace. I packed the jars with the apples and then divided sauce among the jars.
-
Wipe jar rims clean, tighten lids and process immediately. Place jars in pot of water with water 1 inch above top of jar lids and boil for 25 minutes (For 0-1,000 ft altitude). Carefully remove from water and let jars cool 12 to 24 hours. Lids should be indented if properly sealed.
Recipe Video
[brid autoplay="true" video="454206" player="18814" title="Homemade Apple Pie Filling" description="Learn how to can your very own apple pie filling! Free printable labels turn this delicious recipe into a great homemade gift!." duration="65" uploaddate="2019-08-22 15:18:05" thumbnailurl="//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/14570/thumb/454206_t_1566487074.png"]Recipe Notes
Clear Jel is a stable and safe thickener for canning. It won’t turn cloudy like sometimes cornstarch does.
Clear Jel is not Sure-Jell. Sure-Jell is a natural fruit pectin used in making jams and jellies that allows you to use approximately one-quarter less sugar than normal, while still producing a jam that will set.
What apples make the best pie?
I wish I knew the type of apple I picked off my neighbors tree. They have a sweet flavor but do become soft in the canning process. No worries because this canned apple pie filling makes the most delicious Apple Crisp. They also work great for a rustic apple pie. Try Ina Garten’s Apple Crostata Recipe. These apples are fabulous spooned over ice cream!
Here are some apples you might try. It is also okay to use a mixture of apples.
- Granny Smith -This apple has a medium sweetness with a touch of tang. They stay firm while baking.
- Honeycrisp -A sweet flavorful apple that stays relatively firm, although less firm than a Granny Smith.
- Golden Delicious -This yellow apple is a blend of sweet and tart. this apple doesn’t stay as firm as a Granny Smith.
- Jonathan or Jonagold Apples -These classic apples have a blend of tart and tangy flavor. Jonagold apples are the cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathan apples. This variety has both a firm texture and a sweet and tart flavor.
- Braeburn -This citrus smelling apple is very firm, which is perfect for baking apple pie. It does have an interesting flavor more like a pear.
Recipe Tips
- It is important to use bottled lemon juice and not freshly squeezed. Bottled lemon juice has a consistent and dependable acid level.
- Clear Jel is my preferred thickener over cornstarch. It is much more stable and has less aftertaste than cornstarch and will keep the sauce smooth and clear.
I think this apple pie filling will become one of your favorite recipes. Canning is so rewarding!
For more canning recipes try this is easy strawberry jam.
Marilyn says
I have just completed making the apple pie filling again. I think I have made about 30 jars – all for gift giving. I also made the quiche yesterday – very good! (My husband had leftovers this morning) I use your recipes extensively – I have never had one I didn’t like!
Keep up the good work.
Laura Reese says
I appreciate you telling me! Thank you for reading and using the recipes!
Carmen says
Can I use therm-flo instead of clear jel?
Cindy Hopper says
Carmen, I am not familiar with clear jel. Typically clear gel is a substitute for cornstarch in canning recipes. Sometime cornstarch can turn cloudy making clear jel a great option.
Marti Goss says
This recipe is delicious! The only problem i had was the 1 inch head space wasnt enough. The filling leaked out when I took them out of the canner. No worries tho, I’ll just use those first or freeze them!. Next time I’ll leave a bit more room. 🙂
Morgan Hostettler says
Can I substitute cornstarch for the clear gel 1:1? Also, I’m newer to canning – it’s safe just to water bath can this rather than pressure? Thank you so much, sounds DELICIOUS!!!
Cindy Hopper says
Yes, Morgan. Sometimes cornstarch can turn cloudy. This doesn’t happen with clear gel. That is why I like it so much!
Toni says
I really love how easy this is to make! Such a great way to enjoy all those fresh apples!
Aimee Shugarman says
Love how easy this was to make, and the flavor is spot on!!
Eden says
This is such a great idea and what a sweet treat to give! Love it, so good! Thanks for the idea!
Diana says
Love the filling, has great taste.
Diana says
I love this filling, great taste. I swapped out the apples for zucchini. My only problem is that when I processed my jars and waited the time before testing the seal, they had popped down but when I did the finger test the lids came off easily. So I wiped the rims down this time with vinegar, reprocessed adding an additional 10 minutes to the time and after waiting the time before testing, I only had 1 jar to get a good seal. The others didn’t seal or pop down. Can you tell me what has maybe went wrong? I’d really like to have them sitting on my pantry and not in the freezer
Cindy Hopper says
Diana, I really don’t know. I wonder if by swapping out the apples for zucchini the ph is different and possibly this caused the filling to not seal properly? I would guess that the zucchini also lacks the natural pectin apples have and also sugar. You might ask your local county extension agent for some better insight.
Pamela Hester says
I don’t want to use 5 cups of sugar. I’m doing Weight Watchers and would like a substitution, please. I’m not opposed to Stevia or Truvia.
Cindy Hopper says
Pamela, I don’t have a good substitute. It is very difficult to do because the sugar is used a preservative along with the ratios of the other ingredients. You might try searching on the Ball website for a low sugar recipe. They would have done a good job of making sure the recipe is safe.
joanne says
the 21/2 cups of water is not on the first recipe you give.I didnt put in recipe is my filling going to be safe? I have already canned the jars.
Cindy Hopper says
Yes, Joanne, it will be delicious and safe. I added the water to the list above. So sorry for the oversite.
Gwen Baldwin says
Love this recipe. After I processed, some of the jars leaked while cooling(must have over filed). They are still showing a seal, but are they properly sealed?
Also, when I use in a pie I add a sliced raw apple into the filling. Adds crispness to the pie.
Cindy Hopper says
Great Idea Gwen!
Marilyn says
Made the canned apple pie filling yesterday. I tried putting the apples in the jar first and adding the sauce, but the sauce was too thick so had to put the apples and sauce together. I tried one after they were cool and the apples were too soft. Guess I have to cook them less. I had the labels printed and am making a label for the lid. I am going to hang a tag on the jar with recipes for pie and apple crisp using the canned apple filling. I love your website and have used many of your suggestions.
Cindy Hopper says
Marylyn, that is why you don’t cook the apples in the sauce before canning. Sadly, I think they cook in the canning process……… however I think it makes this filling perfect for crips, ice cream topping, crostatas and coffee cake. Thanks for your sweet words!
Karly says
Can’t wait for apple season! Will definitely be making this.
Sharon says
What is Clear Jell?